It is learned that a specialised sergeant, Mehmet Darıcı, on duty at Siirt Gendarmerie Command died due to a traffic accident.

(03/044) Suspicious Death of a Soldier…

Turkish Armed Forces announced on March 4, 2019 that Uğur Çakmak, a soldier on compulsory military service at Armoured Brigade Command No 172 in Çalışkan town of Silopi district of Şırnak, died “as a result of a weapon accident during watch”. It is learned that Uğur Çakmak was born in Balıkesir and thus Balıkesir Governorate made a declaration on his death stating that he “was wounded at neck as a result of firing of the weapon of another soldier at watch point and was taken to Şırnak Major General Aydoğan Aydın Hospital” where he died.

(03/045) Asylum Seekers Were Subjected to Police Violence in Denizli…

It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2019 that, asylum seekers waiting in front of Provincial Migration Directorate in Denizli, in order to get their ID cards which they have to renew once in every 6 months, were intervened by police using pepper gas in order to “get them in line”. It is reported that some asylum seekers who were subjected to pepper gas at a close range were injured.

(03/046) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2019 that prisoners on hunger strike in Bandırma T Type Prison No 1 were subjected to physical violence of the wardens because rejecting to stand in military order during roll-calls.

It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2019 that People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Saliha Aydeniz submit a parliamentary question regarding the claim of suicide attempt by 13 prisoners in Diyarbakır T Type Prisons o 1 and 2. It is reported that the question remarks the omissions that cause death of a prisoner Ahmet Ç. (22) who were alleged to commit suicide in Diyarbakır T Type Prison No 2 on September 22, 2018 and draws attention to the fact that there is only one physician on duty for these two prisons.

(03/047) Hunger Strike in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2019 that 175 prisoners in Silivri L Type Closed Prison No 5 went on a hunger strike demanding an end to isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2019 that 26 prisoners including Erciş district co-mayor Diba Keskin, who was replaced by a trustee, and Dargeçit district co-mayor Zeynep Sipçik, kept in Sincan Women’s Closed Prison went on a hunger strike for the same demand.

(03/048) Ill Prisoner Released from Prison…

Sise Bingöl, an ill prisoner at the age of 85, for whom the Forensic Medicine Institution stated “available to be kept in prison” in the medical report, is released from Adana Karataş Women’s Open Prison on March 4, 2019 as she served her sentence. According to the data of Human Rights Association (IHD) 1154 ill prisoners are kept in prisons.

The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 846 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on March 4, 2019 at 13.30 and 18.00.

It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on March 4, 2019, 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Nazan Bozkurt) and at 18.00 3 people (Gülnaz Bozkurt, Acun Karadağ and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.

Thus in total 5 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on March 4, 2019. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.

(03/050) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Ankara…

The police intervened the protestors in front of Çankaya Public Health Directorate on March 4, 2019, who rally to regain their jobs from which they had been dismissed by state of emergency decrees, and detained 2 people (Mahmut Konuk and 1 more person). It is learned that 2 people were released the same day.

(03/051) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…

Türkan Albayrak, who was dismissed from her job at Sarıyer district Health Department, on the grounds of ‘personnel security investigation’ and ‘archive search’, on August 3, 2018; made a press declaration to regain her job on March 4, 2019, and attempted for a sit-in protest in front of Health Department. The police intervened into the sit-in and detained Türkan Albayrak. It is learned that Türkan Albayrak was released the same day. It is the 95th time of detention of Türkan Albayrak.

(03/052) People Investigated for ‘Insulting the President’ in Ankara…

It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2019 that, a person named M.C., made an official complaint against his daughter A.T.C. to Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office on January 14, 2019, on the grounds of ‘insulting the President’; and that A.T.C. giving her official statement through this investigation on January 17, 2019 rejected the charges and stated that she has problems with her father. It is also reported that, A.T.C. made an official complaint against her father M.C. on the same charge (insulting the President) and as the result of this complaint is non-prosecution while the prosecutor’s office is waiting for the permission of the Ministry of Justice in order to continue proceedings against A.T.C. Professor Yaman Akdeniz from Bilgi University Law Faculty, states in the news reports that the charge of ‘insulting the President’ is involved in Turkish Penal Code in 2014, when Erdoğan began his duty as President, and the number of prosecutions on this charge since then is 66.691 while the number of cases opened is 12.305.

(03/053) Police Raid to HDP Office in Diyarbakır…

It is learned that detention period for 5 people (Salih Cansever, İsmet Yıldız, Sevican Yaşar, Salih Tekin and Bilal Özgezer) who were detained by the police raiding People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) Diyarbakır office on March 3, 2019, is extended 4 days. Those 5 people were on hunger strike in HDP Diyarbakır office to support HDP Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) chair Leyla Güven.

Süleyman Soylu, the Minister of Interior, who made a speech at electoral campaign meeting of AKP in a hotel in Beypazarı district of Ankara, stated the following: “They were planning to go on hunger strike in their party’s office (HDP) in a city (Diyarbakır). I ordered the security forces to get them out of there in half an hour. I just had a phone call. They got them.”

The indictment demands heavy life imprisonment for 16 people on the charge of ‘attempting to abolish the government of the Republic of Turkey or to prevent it from fulfilling its duties’. The indictment also demands sentence for defendants on the charges of ‘qualified damage to property’, ‘possession or exchange of hazardous substances without permission’, ‘damaging places of worship and cemeteries’, ‘qualified robbery’, ‘injury’, ‘opposition to Law on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property No 2863’, and ‘opposition to Law for the Firearms and Knives and Other Tools No 6136’.

(03/055) Person on Trial in Diyarbakır…

The final trial of the case against A.K., a student staying at Diyarbakır Municipality’s dormitory, on the grounds of committing physical violence against K.K., another student who has warned A.K. for playing “Çerxa Şoreşê”, a Kurdish anthem on the phone on January 21, 2017, is held on Diyarbakır Penal Court of First Instance No 9 on March 4, 2019. The court sentenced A.K. to 6 months and 20 days for ‘injury’ and suspended the sentence. The court also sentenced A.K. to write down “Turkish National Anthem” and “To Çanakkale Martyrs”, a poem by Mehmet Akif Ersoy, and submit the handwritings to the court.

(03/056) Police Officer on Trial for ‘Sexual Assault’ in Van…

The final trial of the case against police officer Zekeriya K., on the charge of sexual assault to 4 women (the shop owner and 3 employees), in a shop where he went on a notice of robbery on February 27, 2018 in Van, is held on Van Penal Court of First Instance No 3 on March 4, 2019. The court sentenced Zekeriya K. to 7 years and 6 months (4 times) for sexual assault, increasing the penalty on the grounds of ‘misuse of the influence derived from public duty’. The court then reduced the sentence to 6 years and 3 months for each assault crime on the grounds of ‘possible influence of the sentence on the defendant’s future’. The court sentenced Zekeriya K. to 7 months and 15 days for ‘failure to report robbery’ which in total makes 27 years of jail imprisonment.

(03/057) Labor Killings…

Worker Health and Worker Safety Council (ISIG) revealed that at least 125 workers including 1 child, 9 women, and 3 asylum seekers died while working in February 2019. According to ISIG data at least 284 workers died due to labor killings/labor accidents within the first two months of 2019.

(03/058) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

50 people including military members on active duty, for whom a detention warrant was issued through a Bursa based investigation, are detained on March 4, 2019.

It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2019 that, according to the data of the Ministry of Justice on January 18, 2019; the number of people who were subjected to legal actions on the charge of alleged link to coup attempt is 500.650. The number of people who are still prosecuted or investigated in relation to coup attempt is 259.099; the number of people on trials in ongoing cases is 78.544. There are 30.679 people (18.679 of them are convicted) in prisons on the charge of link to coup attempt. It is also learned that 77.355 people are subjected to judicial control conditions.

(03/059) Violations of Right to Assembly and Demonstration During the State of Emergency Period…

It is learned from the news coverage of March 3, 2019 that Social Law Association and Sendika.org prepared a report on “freedom of assembly” during state of emergency period. According to the report, during the state of emergency period from July 21, 2016 to July 19, 2018, meetings and demonstrations in at least 50 cities are banned at least 163 times. It is also learned from the report that right to assembly was violated 905 times and police intervened meetings and demonstrations 677 times and detained 3267 people.

(03/060) Report on Violations Against Media…

It is learned from the news coverage of March 2, 2019 that, Barış Yarkadaş, former CHP MP, declared February data of the “Report on Violations Against Media”. According to the report, 1 journalist is arrested, 4 journalists are detained, 4 journalists are sentenced to 6 years 8 months and 15 days; 46 journalists and 21 publishing house employees were on trial in February. A case is opened against a newspaper; 1 director is sentenced and 1 journalist is sentenced to a fine of 15.000 Turkish Liras. 2 news reports and were banned to be published, 41 news reports and 2 videos were banned to be accessed and 2 books were not permitted in prisons. 3 journalists were threatened and 1 journalist is assaulted in February 2019.

(03/061) German Journalists’ Accreditation is Not Extended…

It is learned that the application for a new press card for 2019, of 3 German-citizen journalists (ZDF İstanbul Bureau Chief Jörg Brase and Tagesspiegel newspaper’s reporter to Turkey Thomas Seibert, and Halil Gülbeyaz, a freelance journalist for Northern German Broadcasting (NDR)) is not accepted by Presidential Office of Communication for nor reason.

(03/062) Elections on March 31…

It is learned that the party flags around HDP’s campaign office in Esenler district of Istanbul is removed by anonymous people on March 4, 2019.

(03/063) Special Security Zone in Hakkari…

Hakkari Governorate made a declaration on March 4, 2019 and announced 31 areas with given coordinates in central, Yüksekova, Çukurca, Şemdinli and Derecik districts as special security zones as of March 5 to March 19, 2019.

[1]The reports on the human rights violations of the Documentation Center are claims unless they are certified. The claim of violation either is certified through thoroughly investigations of HRFT Documentation Center, including by judicial verdicts, and becomes a definite data or it is not included to the annual report.

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